Multi-Swirler Fuel/Air Mixer with Centralized Fuel Injection

ABSTRACT

A gas turbine combustor assembly has a fuel/air mixer assembly with a plurality of fuel/air mixer elements. Each fuel/air mixer element defines an air flow passage therethrough. A fuel injector is coupled to the fuel/air mixer assembly. The fuel injector has a tip portion with a plurality of fuel outlets arranged to direct fuel into the air flow passages of the air/fuel mixer elements. Each of the fuel/air mixer elements has at least one outlet arranged to supply fuel to the element.

BACKGROUND

The gas turbine engine is the preferred class of internal combustionengine for many high power applications. Fundamentally, the gas turbineengine features an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstreamturbine, and a combustion chamber in-between. The combustion chamber caninclude multiple mixers to mix fuel and air prior to combustion.Typically, each mixer requires an individual fuel injector tip to spraythe fuel into the mixer's airflow.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a half, side cross-sectional view of an example gas turbineengine.

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an example gas turbine combustorsub-assembly, including a fuel/air mixer assembly and fuel injectorassembly.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the example gas turbine combustorsub-assembly of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an example fuel injector assembly.

FIG. 4A is half, side cross-sectional view of the example sub assemblyof FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIG. 4B is half, side cross-sectional view of the example sub assemblyof FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIG. 5A is a detail half, side cross-sectional view of an example fuelinjector tip.

FIG. 5B is a detail half, side cross-sectional view of an example fuelinjector tip.

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of another example gas turbinecombustor sub-assembly.

FIG. 7 is a view of a portion of an annular combustor assembly.

FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of another example gas turbinecombustor sub-assembly.

FIG. 8B is a side view of the example gas turbine combustor sub-assemblyof FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is half, side cross-sectional view of the example subassembly ofFIGS. 8A and 8B.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a half, side cross-sectional view of an example gas turbineengine 10. The gas turbine engine 10 is turbojet-type gas turbine thatcould be used, for example, to power jet aircraft. However, the conceptsdescribed in the present disclosure are not so limited, and can beincorporated in the design of various other types of gas turbine engines(e.g., turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft, industrial/marine engines orothers).

As shown, the gas turbine engine 10 generally facilitates a continuousaxial flow of gas. That is, gas generally flows through the engine 10 inthe axially downstream direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. Thegas turbine engine 10 includes an intake 12 that receives ambient air 14and directs the ambient air to a compressor 16. The ambient air 14 isdrawn through multiple stages of the compressor 16. High-pressure air 18exiting the compressor 16 is introduced to a combustor 100. In certaininstances the combustor 100 is an annular combustor circumscribing theengine's main shaft 20 or a can-type combustor positioned radiallyoutward of the shaft.

The combustor 100 includes a combustion shield 102, multiple fuelinjectors 104, and a combustor dome 106. At the combustor 100, thehigh-pressure air 18 is mixed with liquid hydrocarbon fuel (not shown)and ignited to produce heated combustion products 22. The combustionproducts 22 are passed through multiple stages of a turbine 24. Theturbine 24 extracts energy from the high-pressure, high-temperaturecombustion products 22. Energy extracted from the combustion products 22by the turbine 24 drives the compressor 16, which is coupled to theturbine by the main shaft 20. Exhaust gas 26 leaving the turbine 24 isaccelerated into the atmosphere through an exhaust nozzle 28 to providethrust or propulsion power.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are front and rear perspective views, respectively,of an example gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 200. The exampleturbine combustor sub-assembly 200 mixes air and fuel and enablescombustion of the air/fuel mixture within a combustor. Multiple of thesub-assemblies 200 are arranged together to form a combustor assembly.The turbine combustor sub-assembly 200 can be implemented in a gasturbine engine such as gas turbine engine 10 shown in FIG. 1. Theexample gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 200 includes an example fuelinjector 202 and an example fuel/air mixer assembly 204. The mixerassembly 204 includes a plurality of mixer elements 206 a, 206 b, 206 c,206 d, 206 e, 206 f and a center element 208. In other implementations,the mixer assembly 204 can include more or fewer mixer elements. In theexample fuel/air mixer assembly 204, the mixer elements 206 a, 206 b,206 c, 206 d, 206 e, 206 f are affixed to each other as well as to thecenter element 208 and located symmetrically around the center element208, equidistant from a center location. The mixer elements 206 a-f canbe located in other configurations (e.g. asymmetrically). The mixerassembly 204 can be coupled to the fuel injector (e.g. fuel injector104) to be carried with the fuel injector or it can be coupled to acombustor dome (e.g. dome 106) and the injector subsequently coupled tothe mixer assembly 204. In some cases, the mixer elements 206 a-f arecoupled to the dome plate (not shown) of the dome 106.

The example mixer elements 206 a-f define internal swirl passages thatfacilitate the mixing of air and fuel for combustion. In the examplefuel/air mixer assembly 204, the example mixer elements 206 a-f areconical-cylindrical-conical, converging-diverging venturis. In otherimplementations, the mixer elements 206 a-f can be venturis with adifferent shape or in a different configuration. In otherimplementations, the mixer elements 206 a-f need not be venturis and caninclude passages of a different shape or in a different configuration.The mixer elements 206 a-f each include an air swirler 214 a-f,respectively. The air swirlers 214 a-f are located within the passagesand impart a swirling motion on the incoming air that facilitates themixing of air and fuel. In the example mixer assembly 204 the airswirlers are axial fans, though other configurations or types of airswirlers can be used.

The center element 208 defines a central mixer passage 210 that enablesmixing of airflow and fuel. Fuel is fed from the fuel injector assembly202 into the central mixer passage 210 and the fuel/air mixture from thecentral mixer passage 210 is combusted. In some implementations, theback surface of the center element 208 defines a flame holder. Thefuel/air mixture output from the mixer elements 206 a-f can be ignitedby a standing flame held in place by the back surface of center element208. The center element 208 includes a plurality of cooling airpassages. (e.g. cooling air passages 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, among others).The airflow through the cooling passages helps maintain the centerelement 208 within acceptable temperatures for the materials of theelement. Furthermore, the airflow from the cooling air passages mixeswith the fuel output from the central mixer passage 210.

FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of the example fuel injectorassembly 202 of FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B. The fuel injector assembly 202includes a stem 216 with a securing flange and an example tip portion218. The tip portion 218 includes the extreme tip of the fuel injector.The tip portion 218 includes multiple peripheral fuel orifices 220 a-fand a central orifice 222. The tip portion 218 can be a single tubehaving a cylindrical shape or some other shape. The tip portion 218includes one or more internal passages that feed fuel to the orifices220 a-f, 222.

The peripheral orifices 220 a-f and central orifice 222 spray or injectliquid or gaseous fuel, and/or other fluids such as water or steam intothe airflow of mixer assembly 204. The orifices 220 a-f and 222 can bedesigned to produce a specified spray pattern, for example to produce ajet, a hollow or solid cone, or another specific shape (e.g., fan orother shape). The peripheral orifices 220 a-f are located around the tipportion 218, oriented radially outward, such that each peripheralorifice 220 a-f is positioned in the sidewall of a mixer element 206 a-f(c.f. FIG. 2A). The peripheral orifices 220 a-f are configured to sprayfuel into the airflow of associated mixer elements 206 a-f,respectively. The central orifice 222 sprays fuel into the central mixerpassage 210 and thus into the flow of center element 208. The pluralityof orifices 220 a-f and 222 enable the fuel injector assembly 202 tosupply fuel to multiple mixer elements using only a single tip or tipportion. The orifices 220 a-f and 222 can be orifice devices that threador are otherwise installed into the tip portion 218, or the orifices canbe integral in the sidewall of the tip portion 218 (e.g., machined,laser cut, or other).

The example fuel injector assembly 202 includes fuel feeds 224 a-c thatare internal passages or tubes within the stem 216 and the tip portion218. The fuel feeds 224 a-c are fluidly connected to the peripheralorifices 220 a-f and central orifice 222. The fuel feeds 224 a-c supplyfuel to the orifices 220 a-f and 222. In some implementations, the fuelfeeds 224 a-c can include annular passages within the tip portion 218.The fuel feeds 224 a-c and the orifices 220 a-f and 222 can be connectedsuch that one fuel feed (e.g. 224 a) supplies fuel to a subset or groupof the orifices (e.g. 220 a, 220 c, 220 e). Likewise, a separate fuelfeed (e.g. 224 b) can supply fuel to another subset or group of theorifices (e.g. 220 b, 220 d, 220 f). The central orifice 222 can alsohave its own fuel feed (e.g. 224 b). The fuel feeds and orifices can beconnected in this configuration or another configuration, and more orfewer fuel feeds or orifices can be used. In this manner, the examplefuel injector assembly can selectively supply or not supply fuel to afirst group of orifices (and thus a first group of mixer elements)and toa second group of orifices (and thus a second group of mixer elements)independently, thus enabling staging the mixer elements to producedifferent combustion conditions. The fuel injector assembly can bedesigned to separately control any number of groups of orifices. Thefuel injector assembly can thus be a staged system designed to supplyfuel independently to different groups of orifices and mixer elements.

FIG. 4A is a cross-section view of the example gas turbine combustorsub-assembly 200. The cross-section plane 4A-4A for FIG. 4A is shown inFIG. 2A. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 4A shows that the mixerassembly 204 includes example cooling air intake passages 228 a, 228 b.The air intake passages 228 a, 228 b are passages that allow airflow toenter the cooling air passages (e.g. 212 a, 212 b, 212 c) in the centermixer element 208, and also provide the outer swirling air 232 for theair blast injector tip 222. The mixer assembly 204 can include more orfewer cooling air intake passages, and can be configured differently.FIG. 4 also shows an example air swirler 230 in the tip portion 218. Theair swirler 230 is an axial fan that facilitates the inner swirling airto the airblast injector tip in the center element 208. In otherconfigurations, a different type of swirler could be used. FIG. 4B is across-section view of 4B-4B shown in FIG. 2A. The peripheral pressureatomizing tips 220 c and 220 f are each aligned with an open port 222 c,222 f in the sidewall of the peripheral mixer elements 206 c, 206 f tofacilitate the fuel injection into the airflow streams in the mixerelements.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show cross-sections of two example types of fuelinjector tips 300 and 350. The example fuel injectors 300 and 350 can beimplemented in a fuel injector tip portion such as the tip portion 218shown in FIGS. 2-4. FIG. 5A shows an air-blast type fuel injector tip300 and the peripheral pressure atomizing injection tips 301. Theexample tip portion 218 of prior figures is shown including an air-blasttype fuel injector tip like fuel injector tip 300. FIG. 2B shows apressure atomizing type fuel injector tip 350. These and other types orcombinations of fuel injector tips can be implemented in the tip portiondescribed herein.

FIG. 6 shows an example gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 400. Theexample gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 400 is substantially similarto the example gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 200 show previously.The example gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 400 includes an examplefuel injector 402 and an example fuel/air mixer assembly 404. The mixerassembly 404 includes a plurality of mixer elements 406 a, 406 b, 406 c,406 d, and a center element 408. The gas turbine combustor assembly 400includes air cooling passages 412 a, 412 b and fuel or fluid feeds 424a-c. The gas fuel injector 402 includes multiple orifices (e.g. orifice420 d) that are configured to provide fuel to the mixer elements 406 a-dand 408. The mixer assembly 404 includes five mixer elements (foursymmetrically around and equidistant from a center element), whereas theprevious mixer assembly 204 includes seven mixer elements. As discussedbelow, the mixer assembly 204 and mixer assembly 404 are arranged tonest together.

FIG. 7 shows a portion of an annular fuel injector assembly 500. Theannular fuel injector assembly 500 is a collection of combustorsub-assemblies that have been positioned in an annular arrangement. Incertain instances, the assembly 500 can include multiple concentricannular arrangements of combustor sub-assemblies. The portion of theannular fuel injector assembly 500 depicted shows three combustorsub-assemblies 502, 504, 506 behind a dome plate assembly 508. Mixerassemblies 502 and 506 are substantially similar to previously shownmixer assembly 204, and mixer assembly 504 is substantially similar topreviously shown mixer assembly 404. The mixer elements, such as mixerelements 406 a-d, are arranged in mixer assembly 504 such that a spaceis available to accommodate a protruding mixer element, such as theelements 206 b and 206 e, on mixer assemblies 502 and 506. As such, acombination of mixer assemblies 204 and mixer assemblies 404 can betiled or nested to fill a space, as shown in FIG. 7. In someimplementations, multiple arrangements of annular fuel injectorassemblies can be used. In some implementations, the mixer elements canbe arranged to fill a space other than an annulus (for example, acircular space). The mixer assemblies can also have differentarrangements of mixer elements such that the mixer assemblies nestdifferently than shown.

FIG. 8A, FIG. 8B, and FIG. 8C show another example gas turbine combustorsub-assembly 500. The combustor sub-assembly 500 is similar to theexample gas turbine combustor sub-assembly 200 shown in FIG. 2-4. Thecombustor sub-assembly 500 includes a fuel injector assembly 502 and amixer assembly 504. The fuel injector assembly 502 includes multiplefuel feeds 524 a and 524 b and an injector tip portion 518. The mixerassembly 504 includes mixer elements 506 a-g. As with combustorsub-assembly 200, a single fuel injector 202 with a single tip portion518 is used to supply fuel to multiple mixer elements. The example mixerassembly 500 is coupled to a dome plate 530. The dome plate 530 is asection of the dome of a combustor, such as dome 106 shown in FIG. 1.The injector tip portion 518 can contain multiple orifices to directfuel into the airflow of each mixer element 506 a-g. In this example,the fuel injector tip portion 518 uses a pressure-atomizing design,though other fuel injector tip types can be used. The mixer assembly canhave more or fewer mixer elements, and the mixer elements may beconfigured or arranged so as to nest next to other mixer elements ormixer assemblies.

The mixer elements 506 a-g define venturis or passages that directairflow into the combustor and promote fuel/air mixing. Each mixerelement 506 a-g includes a plurality of angled air holes in its walls.The angled air holes provide mixer element wall cooling and additionalswirling airflow for fuel/air mixing. The angled air holes can have asymmetrical arrangement as shown or have another arrangement. The angledair holes can also be located at different locations on the passages ofthe mixer elements. The mixer elements 506 a-g can also include airswirlers 514 a-g (e.g. axial fans) located within the passages tofurther promote fuel/air mixing.

Notably, the concepts herein have been discussed in connection with acombustor and sub-assemblies for a gas turbine engine. However, they arenot so limited. For example, the same concepts could be applied to otherforms of engines, as well as other apparatus using combustors and/orcombustion chambers.

While this specification contains many details, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but ratheras descriptions of features specific to particular examples. Certainfeatures that are described in this specification in the context ofseparate implementations can also be combined. Conversely, variousfeatures that are described in the context of a single implementationcan also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in anysuitable subcombination.

A number of examples have been described. Nevertheless, it will beunderstood that various modifications can be made. Accordingly, otherimplementations are within the scope of the following claims.

1-21. (canceled)
 22. A gas turbine combustor assembly, comprising: afuel/air mixer assembly comprising a plurality of fuel/air mixerelements, each fuel/air mixer element comprising a housing having asidewall defining an air flow passage and an air swirler residing in theair flow passage, the sidewall of the housing comprising a fuel portopening to the air flow passage at a location axially downstream of theair swirler; and a fuel injector coupled to the fuel/air mixer assemblycomprising a tip portion with a plurality of fuel outlets, each of theplurality of fuel outlets arranged to inject fuel directly into arespective fuel port of each of the fuel/air mixer elements.
 23. The gasturbine combustor assembly of claim 22, wherein the fuel injector isseparably coupled to the fuel/air mixer assembly.
 24. The gas turbinecombustor assembly of claim 22, wherein the air swirler of a least oneof the plurality of fuel/air mixer elements comprises an axial fan. 25.The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 22, wherein the tip portionof the fuel injector comprises a single unitary structure at thefurthest distal end of the fuel injector.
 26. The gas turbine combustorassembly of claim 22, wherein the fuel injector comprises a plurality offuel feeds, each fuel feed configured to supply a flow of fuel to one ormore of the plurality of fuel outlets.
 27. The gas turbine combustorassembly of claim 22, wherein a first of the plurality of fuel outletsis configured to produce a first spray pattern, and a second of theplurality of fuel outlets is configured to produce a second spraypattern that is different from the first spray pattern.
 28. The gasturbine combustor assembly of claim 27, wherein the first fuel outletcomprises an air-blast injector and the second fuel outlet comprises anatomizing injector.
 29. The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 22,wherein the plurality of fuel/air mixer elements comprises a centerfuel/air mixer element and multiple peripheral fuel/air mixer elementsarranged around the center fuel/air mixer element.
 30. The gas turbinecombustor assembly of claim 29, wherein the plurality of fuel outlets ofthe fuel injector comprise a center fuel outlet and multiple peripheralfuel outlets, the center fuel outlet arranged to direct fuel into thecenter fuel/air mixer element and the peripheral fuel outlets arrangedto direct fuel into the peripheral fuel/air mixer elements.
 31. The gasturbine combustor assembly of claim 29, wherein the center fuel/airmixer element comprises a plurality of cooling air passages distributedalong a portion of the sidewall.
 32. The gas turbine combustor assemblyof claim 29, wherein the center fuel/air mixer element comprises a flameholder for supporting a standing flame that ignites mixed fuel/airoutput from one or more of the plurality of fuel/air mixer elements. 33.The gas turbine combustor assembly of claim 22, wherein the housing ofat least one of the plurality of fuel/air mixer elements comprises aVenturi structure having a converging portion and a diverging portion,and wherein the fuel port opening is located axially upstream of thediverging potion of the housing.
 34. A method, comprising: receivingfuel at a fuel injector tip portion of a gas turbine combustor injector,the tip portion comprises a plurality of fuel outlets; and injecting thefuel from the plurality of fuel outlets of the tip portion into aplurality of fuel/air mixer elements, each fuel/air mixer elementcomprising a housing containing an air swirler and a fuel port residingaxially downstream of the air swirler that receives the fuel directlyfrom a respective one of the plurality of fuel outlets.
 35. The methodof claim 34, wherein injecting the fuel from the injector tip portioninto a plurality of fuel/air mixer elements, comprises directing thefuel from the injector tip portion residing at a center location into aplurality of fuel/air mixer elements arranged around the centerlocation.
 36. The method of claim 34, further comprising: receiving aflow of air with at least one of the plurality of fuel/air mixerelements; directing the flow of air across the air swirler of at leastone of the plurality of fuel/air mixer elements as fuel is receivedthrough the fuel injector port; and mixing the air and fuel within thehousing.
 37. The method of claim 35, where injecting the fuel from theinjector tip portion into a plurality of fuel/air mixer elementscomprises injecting the fuel from a center fuel outlet of the injectorand a plurality of peripheral outlets of the injector, each fuel/airmixer element associated with at least one of the fuel outlets.
 38. Themethod of claim 34, wherein receiving fuel at a fuel injector tipportion of a gas turbine combustor injector comprises receiving fuelthrough a first fuel feed fluidically coupled to a first subset of fueloutlets and a second fuel feed fluidically coupled to a second,different subset of fuel outlets, and wherein injecting the fuel fromthe injector tip portion into a plurality of fuel/air mixer elementscomprises directing fuel into a subset of the plurality of fuel/airmixer elements using the first fuel feed and first subset of fueloutlets and sealing against fuel flow through the second fuel feed andsecond subset of outlets.
 39. A device, comprising: a fuel/air mixerassembly comprising a plurality of fuel/air mixer elements, eachfuel/air mixer element comprising a housing having a sidewall definingan air flow passage, the sidewall of the housing comprising a fuel portopening to the air flow passage; and a fuel injector separably coupledto the fuel/air mixer assembly comprising a tip portion with a pluralityof fuel outlets, each of the plurality of fuel outlets arranged toinject fuel directly into a respective fuel port of each of the fuel/airmixer elements.
 40. The device of claim 39, wherein the plurality offuel/air mixer elements comprises a center fuel/air mixer element andmultiple peripheral fuel/air mixer elements arranged around the centerfuel/air mixer element.
 41. The device of claim 40, wherein theplurality of fuel outlets of the fuel injector comprise a center fueloutlet and multiple peripheral fuel outlets, the center fuel outletarranged to direct fuel into the center fuel/air mixer element and theperipheral fuel outlets arranged to direct fuel into the peripheralfuel/air mixer elements.